The Focal Bathys sounds great when hooked up via USB-cable, and it’s great that it works with iPhone using the Apple Camera Adapter.
That said, it’s also fantastic how good they sound via Bluetooth on iPhone. Having that kind of sound quality without using a cable is great, me thinks.
Just wonder when they will support LDAC or aptX HD on Android.
Cheers
Frederick
+1 on “anthems” being fatiguing but others on the record too. I think some of the HIFN tracks were mastered differently about 2db higher than the rest of her discography. Then there’s “party 4 u” that is just beautifully mastered volume wise and I can crank with no harshness at all. (On my LCD5’s, not a Bathys owner)
But, nothing wrong with Charli here and seriously underrated. To me one of the GOAT… life changing after discovering her in June last year and i’ve been optimizing my chain to hear her music the best I can… which sounds incredible btw. Good to know on the Bathys as I am interested in a pair for when open backs aren’t possible. Thanks and Happy listening!
Do you know of any good OTG cables? I’ve been looking, and all I find are adapters or super short cables, which wouldn’t really work for this application.
You would need either of these two adapters from Apple:
Then a USB-A to USB-C cable to go with the adapter. Apple is basically quite restrictive on what works or what doesn’t on iOS especially. Haven’t tried the other adapters out there but I have both of these at home and can confirm they work!
Thanks @netforce !
So, I do have the camera adapter, and it works fine, but just wondering if there are any OTG cables that are maybe 4 ft - 6 ft in length that would work, and eliminate the camera adapter. So far, I’ve come across these:
I’d rather buy one from an audio-oriented brand (like iFi or Audioquest), but I am not aware of either having an iOS compatible OTG cable.
I use the Apple Camera adapter too, and it works fine.
But, I have ordered the Meenova USB DAC OTB cable from Amazon, because I’m curious if it will work with my iPhone 11 Pro.
I believe it will show up in the end of next week.
I’ll report back if it works. 
I wish everybody a nice and relaxing weekend 
Frederick
I’d love to know if anyone is 100% satisfied with their OTG cable. I bought one from Amazon and thought the sound quality with the Baghys was just slightly muted, less three-dimensional than when using the Apple adapter.
Just got a message from DHL that my Meenova USB cable will show up on Friday.
I’ll do a comparison as soon as I can.
Cheers
Frederick
I auditioned the FOCAL Bathys last week along with the Sennheiser 800S and a Dan Clark Audio Ether Flow (I think that was the model). Connection via headphone jack of Naim Uniti Atom, streamed from Deezer , Apple iPad used to select song titles. Initially I immediately liked the FOCAL and the DCA units, the Sennheiser (apart from having ear cups too large for my ears) sounded thin and cool. The DCA had the comfortable suspension head band but almost 2X the price above my cost ceiling. I did see the B&W PX8 (love the beige) that was available but my ears were tired at that point. Also wasn’t sure about the squarish ear cups as well. Going back next week and will A/B the FOCAL and the PX8 and possibly others now that I’ve acquired some tax-free cash form retirement funds.
I was curious if a dongle DAC like the Helm Bolt would be usable with the Bathys. Thanks for tolerating my first post, try not to chuckle too much.
Hi @old_dawg71 ,
Unfortunately, using an external DAC on the Focal Bathys isn’t something you’ll want to do. Focal made the decision to apply noise cancelling to all inputs including the analogue one. As such, they’re actually digitizing the analogue input (coming in from the Naim Uniti Atom or Helm Bolt, for example), applying processing in the digital domain, and re-converting back to analogue. As such, comparing the Bathys to the Sennheiser HD 800S and DCA Either Flow off of another DAC/amp is kindof like trying to compare cameras, except you’re taking two cameras and taking a picture of Mt Fuji, and then adding a third, except that one took a picture of a picture of Mt Fuji. The third camera is the Focal Bathys.
The best (or, I should say, most accurate) you’ll get out of the Bathys is by connecting a digital source via USB C in DAC mode. Basically, the amplification and DAC are internal to the Bathys, and anything you do before the Bathys in the analogue domain is mostly thrown away. To be clear, you can change the character of what comes out of the Bathys by doing that, but you’re kind of putting a “filter on a filter”, and by definition, pushing the end result a little farther from the “true” source.
None of this is to say you shouldn’t consider the Bathys. I have one and love it. For me, it’s a fantastic compliment to its (much) bigger brother, the Focal Utopia, which I also have. It’s refreshing to have the option of an all-in-one experience instead of a whole rack of equipment.
More than anything, you should decide whether you want a headphone that you can “level up” by experimenting with different DACs and amplification (like the Naim Uniti Atom), or if you want a one-and-done system-in-a-headphone, like the Bathys. Or you can be a crazy like me (and many others on this forum) and do both… 
Thanks very much for your informative reply that reaffirmed what I had gathered after auditioning the the store headphones. I’m disappointed that FOCAL didn’t give the Bathys a passive path through the headphone and not inform the potential buyer of that. Using the USB-C / DAC is certainly an option but might be difficult for me. Supplied cables are only 4 ft in length and that’s too short for my application since laptop/iPad/separates sit on a shelving unit that’s 90 degrees behind my desktop computer setup. Necessitates buying longer USB-C cable or switching to Bluetooth.
I agree that the Bathys certainly can be a “one and done” do it all headphone but have to remind myself that a wired headphone was what I wanted before I started this search. I confess to the ugly truth that I am price point shopping. Being retired and on a fixed income demands real world decisions to separate wants from needs, I’m siphoning some tax-free cash from retirement funds to make this purchase possible (within reason).
The store I was at had a whole row of FOCAL headphones that I didn’t investigate since my ears at that point were tired. That and knowing that would be venturing into four figure territory.
I’ve also eyed the Drop + Dan Clark Audio Aeon X closed back phones as a possible online purchase alternative. If the Dan Clark phones (again, don’t remember the model) I auditioned at the store are any indication of the DCA “house sound” , I’m interested.
Noticed in your profile you have the Chord DAVE. That makes two I’ve seen, yours and John Darko.
Thanks again for your response.
I got the Meenova Lightning → USB-C cable today and have been using it for a couple of hours.
It works well with my iPhone 11 Pro.
I like how slim and flexible it is - well worth the money.
I’d love to know if anyone is 100% satisfied with their OTG cable. I bought one from Amazon and thought the sound quality with the Baghys was just slightly muted, less three-dimensional than when using the Apple adapter.
To answer your question, I find the Meenova-cable to work really well, not lacking in sound quality compared to the Apple Camera USB adapter + USB-cable.
Which cable did you buy?
Cheers
Frederick
Well, you can also flip it around, if you like how the Focal Bathys sound and feel, that’s all you have to buy - you won’t need any external DAC and headphone amp.
In the end, that might save you some money.
It all depends on if you like how they sound. Before you decide, you really should give them a chance hooked up via USB-C cable.
I’ve just had a blast listening to my Bathys via cable hooked up to my iPhone. 
Have a great weekend
Frederick
I would also agree. I purchased the Bathys as a bluetooth headphone with ANC. I intend to use it for travel purposes, which it does exceedingly well.
I certainly can’t fully know your sonic desires, gear-headedness, future plans, and budget, so I won’t try to point you in any given direction too much. As others have said, if you love the sound of the Bathys, then it’s a lovely thing to simply be done with the exercise. They’re an amazing headphone. However, I’ll be the first to admit, I enjoy the process of upgrading and tuning my system to my tastes over time, and for that, you must go wired.
I love Focals myself, and have a small stable of them (Utopia, Bathys, and Celestee), but you have to find what you like. Also keep in mind that, for these, and many others, you can explore a lot by (1) using the very generous Headphones.com 365 day return policy to try some headphones in your home for a longer time, in a quiet environment, or (2) try buying and selling a few pairs of used headphones, again, to see what you like, and maybe buy the ones you like new once you’ve decided (or just keep the used ones, of course).
To your point, don’t judge headphones when you’re tired of hearing too many options, and take your time. You’ll find something, for sure 
Thanks for testing and good to hear there is no audible difference! I‘ll also use them with the Bathys very soon.
The Meenova! Maybe I’ll have to give it another try!
My Bathys arrived from the hosts the other day and I must say that I am really digging them. Granted, most of my listening thus far has been through various wired systems. But even during the BT pairing for initial setup and testing thereafter, it was evident that these are the real deal. Regardless, my wireless sessions are usually out where I won’t have the opportunity to appreciate subtle sonic nuances anyway. So I take what I get in the wireless world.
My day to day wired over-ear phones are either OG Clears, Elears, or Senn 800’s. Listening to run-on classical music tracks during the work day streamed through Qobuz had me stopping from time to time to appreciate the Bathys sound. There are no noticeable compromises to always on ANC that I can hear in wired sessions. I actually like that Focal left out the option to fully turn off ANC and instead tuned these from the standpoint that ANC WILL be on rather than making sound quality second to ANC capability. Transparent mode is obviously not meant for listening sessions, but mild and strong ANC (my terms) both provide great sound quality.
I’m currently working through some David Bowie and am not picking up any distortion or other defects-> the sound is clear while listening in don’t listen-like-this-for-extended-sessions loudness. Dropped over to Amazon for some Grateful Dead; Red Rocks '78 (seriously, that set list. Can you imagine). Awesome. Steely Dan Two Against Nature sounds as good as ever. Then, for kicks, some Japanese drums on YouTube (Taiko, because I wanted to help the break in along and am suitably impressed.
All in all, very happy with the purchase. I bought them as a complement to my walking sessions and for travel. But they may also work their way into my daily wired working rotation as well. I think Focal really nailed this one and would buy again. -Cheers
Well, I tried again and came to the same conclusion. The OTG cable’s sound was just a little less vibrant, detailed, dimensional. Not a huge difference, but noticeable enough. Just have to slog on with the Apple camera kit!
This is super helpful feedback; thank you! I was considering that OTG cable, but I guess I’ll also stick to the camera adapter. Sigh.
